Automatic feed device for individual publishing products

ABSTRACT

An automatic feed device for individual publishing products to which publishing products ( 12 ), of whatever thickness and size, are fed from a first conveyor belt ( 13 ) in a scaled arrangement, one partially on top of the other, to be laid down on a second conveyor belt ( 14 ) one after the next separated and not overlapping, comprising a bearing structure ( 15 ), at least one pair of manipulator members ( 19, 19 ′) which, one at a time, grip, through relative gripping members ( 27, 32, 33 ), the publishing products ( 12 ), arranged scaled which advance on the first conveyor belt ( 13 ) and lay them down them on the second conveyor belt ( 14 ) separated one from the next, the manipulators ( 19, 19 ′) being alternately mobile forwards and backwards between the first and second conveyor belt ( 13, 14 ) and being able to oscillate to determine both the gripping of the individual product and the subsequent laying down thereof always in two predetermined positions of the first and second conveyor belt.

[0001] The present invention refers to an automatic feed device forindividual publishing products, in particular for publishing products ofwhatever thickness and size.

[0002] Once the “publishing products”, such as newspapers, magazines,books, with or without gadgets, bound in plastic or not, and the like,have been distributed according to the predetermined program, they arereturned in the leftover amount, in bulk, to sorting centres. Thesecentres must take care of their selection for counting, selection andwhatever else is required so as to reuse the materials and to haveinformation on the size of the distribution as well as where they comefrom.

[0003] In general, these returned products, arrive at such centres,where suitable personel select them coming out from their containers todivide them and to allow their type and origin to be checked.

[0004] In such a way, there are costs due to the substantial use ofpersonnel needed to carry out such a task, which moreover does notmanage to maintain fast selection and sending of the individual producttowards the selection and checking devices.

[0005] Moreover, the variability of their size and thickness does notalways make this operation easy with a further slowing down of therelative operations and consequent increase in the costs.

[0006] Therefore, it is the general purpose of the present invention toidentify and realise an automatic feed device for individual publishingproducts which solves such a technical problem so as to have easy andalways correct automatic separation of publishing products, as required.

[0007] Another purpose is that of realising a feed device which can bedirectly associated with a transporter for feeding products which arearranged overlapping with end edges above the next product, avoiding anytype of manipulation by personnel.

[0008] Yet another purpose is that of identifying a device which makesthe carrying out of the selection, sorting and type and origin checkoperations of leftover publishing products as automatic and fast aspossible.

[0009] Yet another purpose is that of realising an automatic feed devicefor individual publishing products which can easily functionirrespective of the size and thickness of the leftover products whicharrive arranged scaled on a conveyor belt.

[0010] These and other purposes according to the present invention areachieved by realising an automatic feed device for individual publishingproducts as outlined in claim 1 attached hereto.

[0011] Further relevant characteristics of the present invention areobject of the dependent claims.

[0012] Through a device according to the present invention an automaticarrangement of the publishing products separated one after the next on adischarge conveyor belt which sends them to subsequent selection,sorting and type and origin check operations of leftover publishingproducts is thus achieved.

[0013] It must be noted that such a device can quickly be adapted toselection lines already present at the centres which receive theleftover products and select them for them to be recycled.

[0014] The functional and structural characteristics and the advantagesof a device according to the invention shall become clearer from thedescription of a non-limiting example embodiment thereof, with referenceto the attached drawings, in which:

[0015]FIG. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of an automatic feeddevice for individual publishing products arranged between a firstconveyor belt for feeding in a scaled arrangement of them, one partiallyon top of the next, and a second conveyor belt which receives them oneafter the next separated and not overlapping,

[0016]FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 in which the device isreleasing a product onto the second conveyor belt,

[0017]FIG. 3 is a totally schematic plan view of another position of thedevice.

[0018] With reference to the drawings, an automatic feed device forindividual publishing products according to the present invention isshown, wholly indicated with 11, to which publishing products 12, ofwhatever thickness and size, are fed. These products are taken from afirst feed conveyor belt 13 in an scaled arrangement, one partially ontop of the other and indicated both with 12 and in order through lettersof the alphabet F, G, H, I, L, M, etc., said “negative squama”arrangement, in other words with the rear edge of a first productarranged above the front edge of a second product.

[0019] The feeder device of the present invention automatically picks upthe individual publishing products 12 and places them individually on asecond conveyor belt 14, one after the other separated and notoverlapping, indicated with both 12 and with letters of the alphabet A,B, C, D, E, F.

[0020] As stated previously, by the term “publishing product” we mean apackaged or unpackaged product, alone or a composite with a variablesize and thickness. Indeed, with the base product, such as a newspaper,a magazine, a book or the like, it is possible to combine at least onesecond product, of the same or a different size which functions as anadditional element, such as some sort of “gadget”, a compact disc, afloppy disc, a perfume or any other object which is sufficiently small.

[0021] The device of the invention thus arranged comprises a bearingstructure, schematised at 15, on which a belt 16 is arranged, wound intoa ring on end pulleys 17. One of these pulleys 17 is commanded by abrushless motor 18 or by an “electric shaft” group which commands thepulley in an alternating backward and forward motion, with thepossibility of previously selecting accelerating, continuous anddecelerating movement. In this way an arrangement with an actuator,which moves at least one pair of manipulator members, indicated with 19,19′, backwards and forwards, is realised.

[0022] The belt 16, indeed, in the example carries two manipulators 19,19′ which grip one at a time the publishing products 12 which, asstated, are arranged scaled and advance on the first conveyor belt 13.Once the products 12 are gripped they are displaced by the belt 16 andtaken above the second conveyor belt 14, where they are laid down. Inparticular, the publishing products 12 are laid down separated from eachother, as shown in the figures.

[0023] In such a way the manipulators 19, 19′ are alternately mobileforwards and backwards between the first conveyor belt 13 and the secondconveyor belt 14. Moreover, it must be noted that the pulleys 17, thebelt 16 and the motor 18 are arranged on a support cross-member 20attached through articulated hinge elements 21 to the bearing structure15 of the device 11 of the invention. The pulleys 17 are indeedrotatably carried on the cross-member 20.

[0024] Furthermore, the cross-member 20 carries an integral lever 22which is connected in an articulated manner through a pin 23 to the endof a stem 24 of an actuating cylinder 25, attached through a pin 26 tothe aforementioned bearing structure 15.

[0025] Consequently, thanks to the aforementioned general structure, thecross-member 20 and therefore the manipulators 19, 19′ carried on it canoscillate according to the arrow F to determine both the gripping of theindividual product 12 from the first conveyor belt 13 and the subsequentlaying down thereof on the second conveyor belt 14. This takes placeboth for the manipulator 19 arranged on a side of the cross-member 20and for the other manipulator 19′ arranged on the other side of thecross-member 20. In this way the device of the present invention allowsthe two manipulators 19, 19′ to be carried, always in two preselectedpositions with respect to both the first conveyor belt 13 and the secondconveyor belt 14, in other words gripping and laying down the individualproduct always in the same positions.

[0026] The individual manipulator 19, 19′ foresees a series of cylinders27 arranged on a plate 28 connected to a bracket 29 made integral withthe belt 16 through bolts 30. The cylinders 27 through their stems 31carry first gripping members, such as suction pads 32, which act uponthe individual publishing product 12.

[0027] The presence of the series of cylinders 27, in which eachcylinder 27 foresees an adaptation to each gripped publishing product12, allows adaptation of the individual manipulator 19, 19′ to thepublishing product 12 so that the product itself can even have avariable thickness from one point to the next. The pistons 31 of thesecylinders 27 are thus self-levelling and self-adapting.

[0028] Moreover, each manipulator 19 and 19′ is also equipped with asquare-shaped element 33, hinged at 34 to the plate 28, an end of whichis hinged at 35 to an end of a stem of a cylinder 36. This cylinder 36is in turn hinged at the other end at 37 to the aforementioned plate 28and determines the actuation of the square-shaped element 33 whichfunctions as a second gripping member.

[0029] This square-shaped element 33 is thus actuated to grip thepublishing product 12 in its lower part so as to act in collaborationwith the suction pads 32 of the cylinders 27 like a pincer and torealise complete and secure gripping members.

[0030] For greater certainty of placing of the publishing products 12separated one after the next on the second conveyor belt 14, saidconveyor belt 14 can be arranged tilted by a certain angle with respectto the first conveyor belt 13, for example about 45°. In this way, asshown in the figures, the placing of the publishing products 11 beingdischarged, to be sent to subsequent selection, sorting and type andorigin checking operations of leftover publishing products, is made evenmore certain. Indeed, in this way it is certain that the products shallnot be arranged scaled as happened on the first transporter.

[0031] As can be observed from the figures, such an angled arrangementof the products 12 ensures that the product does not open, if foldedlike a magazine. Moreover, the presence of barcodes 40 arranged both onthe upper and lower side allows correct and easy reading with normalscanners, schematised at 38, arranged at 45° in the upper part of theapparatus or else with a scanner just in the upper or lower part 39arranged transversally to the direction of travel.

[0032] In particular, in the operation given as an example, the deviceas shown in FIG. 1 is oscillated so that a manipulator 19 is in the stepof gripping an publishing product 12 arranged on the first conveyor belt13. The series of cylinders 27 arranged on the plate 28 through therespective stems 31 has carried the first gripping members, i.e. thesuction pads 32, onto the first publishing product 12 of the productsarranged scaled on the first conveyor belt 13.

[0033] The second manipulator 19′, on the other hand, having releasedanother publishing product 12 on the second conveyor belt 14, is carriedby such an oscillation far from the second conveyor belt 14.

[0034] In a subsequent step the manipulator 19 is carried above thesecond conveyor belt 14, whereas the manipulator 19′ is carried abovethe first conveyor belt 13. Such a displacement is determined by thetranslation of the belt 16 actuated by pulleys 17. In such a way thepublishing product 12 (F) gripped by the manipulator 19 is carried ontothe second conveyor belt 14 and is released distanced and separated fromthe previous product 12 (FIG. 2).

[0035] Immediately after such an operation the cross-member 20 is madeto oscillate by the clinder 25 which pulls back the stem 24. In such away the manipulator 19′ goes above a further product 12 arranged on thefirst conveyor belt 13, whereas the other manipulator 19 moves away fromthe product 12 released on the second conveyor belt 14. The manipulator19′ is made to translate until the product 12 is laid down on the secondconveyor belt 14, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0036] It must be specified that during the gripping operation thefurther gripping member defined by the square-shaped element 33 alsoenters into action. Indeed, the cylinder 36 determines the oscillationof the square-shaped element 33 which goes below the publishing product12 and acts in collaboration with the suction pads 32 of the cylinders27 like a pincer on the product 12.

[0037] The complete cycle is then repeated to also carry this furtherpublishing product, which arrives arranged scaled, towards an individualarrangement on the second conveyor belt 14, certainly “individualised”and ready to make the carrying out of the successive selection, sortingand type and origin check operations of leftover publishing products asautomatic and fast as possible.

[0038] It is thus clear how simple and useful a solution to the generalproblem mentioned previously, according to the present invention, hasbeen found to be.

[0039] The proposed technical solution realises the possibility ofindividual positioning of the publishing product which arrivesoverlapping.

1. Automatic feed device for individual publishing products to whichpublishing products (12), of whatever thickness and size, are fed from afirst conveyor belt (13) in a scaled arrangement, one partially on topof the other, to be laid down on a second conveyor belt (14) one afterthe next separated and not overlapping, comprising a bearing structure(15), at least one pair of manipulator members (19) which, one at atime, grip, through relative gripping members (27, 32, 33), thepublishing products (12), arranged scaled which advance on the firstconveyor belt (13) and lay them down them on the second conveyor belt(14) separated one from the next, said manipulators (19) beingalternately mobile forwards and backwards between said first and secondconveyor belt (13, 14) and being able to oscillate to determine both thegripping of the individual product and the subsequent laying downthereof always in two predetermined positions of said first and secondconveyor belt.
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in thatsaid manipulators (19) are arranged on a cross-member (20) which canoscillate with respect to said bearing structure (15) through anactuator (25) and relative articulations (21, 22, 23, 26) and arealternately mobile forwards and backwards along said cross-member (20)through an actuator arrangement (16, 17, 18).
 3. Device according toclaim 2, characterised in that said actuator arrangement comprises abelt (16) wound into a ring on end pulleys (17), rotatably carried ontosaid cross-member (20), one of said pulleys (17) being commanded by amotor means (18) in an alternating forward and backward motion. 4.Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that each of said atleast one pair of manipulator members (19) foresees that said grippingmembers are a series of cylinders (27), carrying gripping members (32)which act on the individual publishing product (12), said cylinders (27)being arranged on a plate (28) which is mobile with respect to saidcross-member (20).
 5. Device according to claim 4, characterised in thatsaid gripping members consist of suction pads (32).
 6. Device accordingto claim 4, characterised in that said gripping members also comprise asquare-shaped element (33), hinged (at 34) to said plate (28), one endof which is hinged (at 35) to an end of a stem of a cylinder (36) whichin turn is hinged at the other end (at 37) to said plate (28).
 7. Deviceaccording to claim 2, characterised in that said articulations comprisearticulated hinged elements (21) arranged between said supportcross-member (20) and said bearing structure (15) and, respectively, alever (22) integral with said cross-member (20) and connected in anarticulated manner through a pin (23) to said actuator consisting ofcylinder (25), attached through a pin (26) to said bearing structure(15).
 8. Device according to claim 3, characterised in that said motormeans comprises a brushless motor (18) or an “electric shaft” group. 9.Device according to claim 4, characterised in that said series ofcylinders (27), carrying gripping members (32), foresees an adaptationand self-levelling with respect to each publishing product (12) beinggripped.
 10. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that each ofsaid at least one pair of manipulator members (19) is mobile on one sideof said cross-member (20) forwards and backwards.
 11. Device accordingto claim 1, characterised in that with said second conveyor belt (14) atleast one upper and/or lower scanner (38, 39) of barcodes (40), arrangedon each of said publishing products (12) separated from one another, isassociated.